Holyfield Seeking Fifth Heavyweight Crown

[Wheelchair]

Evander Holyfield has outlasted younger fighters who have represented some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division -- Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer, Riddick Bowe, and, John Ruiz, just to name a few.

 

And if he has his way, in the early part of 2011, Holyfield will become the oldest man to win a major heavyweight title belt.

 

Already the sport's first, four-time champion, Holyfield will be 48 years old when he hopes to get his next one, according to his manager, Ken Sanders.

 

The 47-year-old Holyfield, who turns 48 on Oct. 19, is coming off of last month's eighth-round knockout of 41-year-old Francois Botha (47-5-3, 28 KOs) at Las Vegas' Thomas and Mack Center, earning the fringe WBF belt.

 

"That's what we wanted to do was get a title, and the WBF is a good enough title. Evander will make the title bigger because of who he is," said Sanders. "What we would like to do is to have him fight again in July or August, and then again, before the end of the year. So at least two more fights this year."

 

In victory against Botha, Holyfield rose to 43-10-2, with his 28th knockout, improving to 6-6-1 since last holding the WBA belt in 2000 after defeating John Ruiz.

 

Long-range goals for Holyfield involve bouts with Ukrainian-born, 38-year-old, WBC king, Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), his younger brother, 33-year-old, WBO and IBF champion, Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs), or 29-year-old, WBA titlist, David Haye (24-2, 22 KOs), of England.

 

Holyfield's goal is to become undisputed world champion, once more, but along the way, he could surpass George Foreman as the eldest man to earn a major heavyweight title belt.

 

Foreman accomplished that feat by stopping Michael Moorer in the 10th round as a 45-year-old in November of '94.

 

"We want to defend that WBF title, and then, the first part of next year, we hope that, the way that things are going, that he will be able to fight one of the Klitschkos," said Sanders. "Hopefully, it will be Vitali. I've already talked to [WBC director] Jose Sulaiman, and he's already said that he would approve him to fight."

 

Vitali Klitschko will be making the fourth defense of his title on May 29 against Polish-born Albert Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KOs) of Brentwood, Essex, England, having earned the belt with an October 2008, eighth-round knockout of Samuel Peter after having been out of the ring for four years.

 

Wladimir Klitschko and Haye are considering fighting each other, and their camps are currently in talks to attempt to make that fight.

 

"They have fights that they have to do, so we know that they're going to be busy for like the next six months, so we just want Evander to stay active," said Sanders, adding that Holyfield's next fight could be in China in July.

 

"When the heavyweight champions, the Klitschkos, become available, then, we would maybe fight then," said Sanders. "But Mr. Sulaiman has already said that Evander would be approved. They want Evander to come to Wales for their WBC meeting."

 

Sanders said that he also has received a call from Polish-born former light heavyweight (175 pounds) and cruiserweight (200 pounds) champion, Tomasz Adamek (41-1, 27 KOs), who earned his 10th consecutive victory, and only his third as a heavyweight, with last month's majority decision in defense of his IBF International crown against Chris Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs).

 

The 33-year-old, 6-foot-2 Adamek suffered his only loss in February 2007 when he was dethroned as WBC light heavyweight champion by Chad Dawson.

 

"His manager said that he would call me back in a week or so," said Sanders. "I told him that we would consider it, depending how much money we're talking about, where it is, and when it is."

 

http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/05/18/evander-holyfield-seeking-fifth-heavyweight-crown/

[Wheelchair]

Re: Holyfield Seeking Fifth Heavyweight Crown

 

 

Long-range goals for Holyfield involve bouts with Ukrainian-born, 38-year-old, WBC king, Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), his younger brother, 33-year-old, WBO and IBF champion, Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs), or 29-year-old, WBA titlist, David Haye (24-2, 22 KOs), of England.

 

"We want to defend that WBF title, and then, the first part of next year, we hope that, the way that things are going, that he will be able to fight one of the Klitschkos," said Sanders. "Hopefully, it will be Vitali. I've already talked to [WBC director] Jose Sulaiman, and he's already said that he would approve him to fight."

 

"When the heavyweight champions, the Klitschkos, become available, then, we would maybe fight then," said Sanders. "But Mr. Sulaiman has already said that Evander would be approved. They want Evander to come to Wales for their WBC meeting."

 

 

Some very worrying statements. Evander thinking of fighting the other champions is crazy, he'll get badly hurt.

 

Worse still is WBC president Sulaiman being ready to approve a fight between Vitali and Evander. The governing bodies should be taking steps to stop fights happening that could have potentially very tragic results.

 

These aged relics need protection, not a beating from one of the current, heavy-hitting, heavyweight champs.

[donlevy]

Re: Holyfield Seeking Fifth Heavyweight Crown

 

The governing bodies should be taking steps to stop fights happening that could have potentially very tragic results.

 

 

 

Such a tragic result would more than likely result in that fighter moving up a few spots in the WBO rankings.

[Wheelchair]

Indeed. That 'dead boxer ranking' was a very embarrassing episode for the WBO.

[Faulks]

Vitali gets nothing by taking on this fight

[Loaded_Gloves]

None of the champions have expressed any interest in Holyfield as far as I know. Probably will never happen.

[WelshDevilRob]

Very surprised that Tomasz Adamek is chasing a fight with Holyfield. Adamek would hammer 'The Real Deal'.

 

I saw Holyfield on the BBC a few years back and when David Haye was mentioned he said he wasn't interested in fighting the young guns only fighters from his era.

[The Hurricane]

Re: Holyfield Seeking Fifth Heavyweight Crown

 

 

Long-range goals for Holyfield involve bouts with Ukrainian-born, 38-year-old, WBC king, Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), his younger brother, 33-year-old, WBO and IBF champion, Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs), or 29-year-old, WBA titlist, David Haye (24-2, 22 KOs), of England.

 

"We want to defend that WBF title, and then, the first part of next year, we hope that, the way that things are going, that he will be able to fight one of the Klitschkos," said Sanders. "Hopefully, it will be Vitali. I've already talked to [WBC director] Jose Sulaiman, and he's already said that he would approve him to fight."

 

"When the heavyweight champions, the Klitschkos, become available, then, we would maybe fight then," said Sanders. "But Mr. Sulaiman has already said that Evander would be approved. They want Evander to come to Wales for their WBC meeting."

 

 

Some very worrying statements. Evander thinking of fighting the other champions is crazy, he'll get badly hurt.

 

Worse still is WBC president Sulaiman being ready to approve a fight between Vitali and Evander. The governing bodies should be taking steps to stop fights happening that could have potentially very tragic results.

 

These aged relics need protection, not a beating from one of the current, heavy-hitting, heavyweight champs.

 

Sulaiman would sanction a fight between Vitali and that dead boxer they ranked years ago if he thought it would make him some money.